Bearded Collie and American Shorthair

This is one sweet dog and the perfect pet if you are looking for a great family dog.

A Beardie has never met a person it doesn’t like.

However, if you have small children, are physically impaired or elderly this is not the dog for you unless you get an older one that has been trained not to jump.

Beardies are jumpers, they are bouncy, exuberant, playful and extremely intelligent.

Unless trained as a puppy not to jump on people, their idea of a greeting is to jump up, look you in the eyes and give your nose a kiss.

Where did the Bearded Collie come from?

They came from Scotland and were bred to herd sheep and cattle, which they are very good at.

Beardies do not look like our idea of a “Lassie” collie, but in Scotland all herding dogs were called collies and thus the name.

The herding instinct is inbred and in some cases the growing puppy will nip at ankles or eye level bottoms and try to herd you into a group.

Some will even herd their toys into a group and put them in a “safe” place.

Beardies are a medium sized dog with large squarish nose and of course are very hairy.

This is a dog that requires definite grooming times. If you are a very busy person, this is not the dog for you.

Puppies should be groomed at least 4 times a week in order to get them used to the process. Older dogs can be groomed at least once a week, but twice a week is preferable.

When purchasing a Beardie have your breeder give you some hints about the process. Beardies have 2 coats a soft fluffy one underneath and the harsh long coat on top.

It is suggested when grooming the dog that you make it lie on its side, mist the hair with warm water or anti-tangle spray and use a bristle or pin brush to comb through the hair.

Puppies can be groomed in about 10 minutes, grown dogs take between a half hour to an hour, each time to groom. They also need their nails clipped at least once a month.

Sometime between the ages of 9 months to 18 months the puppies lose their puppy hair and for about 3 months have to be brushed daily in order to reduce matting.

Once the puppy hair is shed, they really shed very little.

Beardies are very active dogs and require a fenced in yard. A tall fenced-in yard is best as they are very agile and can climb and jump over low fences.

Beardies are a thinking dog and bored is something you do not want this dog to be.

Why?

Bored dogs can get into all kind of interesting trouble, that is why a Beardie needs an active family.

As a rule they are quite healthy and suffer the normal ailments of most breeds. Hip dysplasia, auto-immune disease, hypothyroidism and skin allergies are
things you should check with your breeder to see if any of these things are in the parent’s background.

They normally live a 12 to 16 year lifespan and remain active until well into their senior years.

If you would like a happy, agile, friendly, stable and intelligent dog that acts like a 2 year old toddler, loves mud puddles, slopping in its water dish and giving you wet kisses, run don’t walk to the nearest breeder and get yourself a dog.

I am told they are like peanuts, you can’t just have one.

If you are interested in a Beardie or any other kind of a puppy, may I suggest you visit the following site for information on breeds and breeders.

It has been documented in the history of this country that the American Shorthair cat is a descendent of the cats that came to this country on the Mayflower with the pilgrims.

Undoubtedly, cats were one of the most valuable assets our settlers brought with them. These cats were necessary to help the farmers keep the rats and mice under control. Every farm had one good male stud cat and several females. The cats were so valuable, that even though they were considered “barn cats” they were allowed in the house with the family.

In the days of the gold rush, miners would rush to the boats when they docked and would pay high dollars just to get a cat.

The American Shorthair became one of the first breeds to be recognized by the CFA when it organized in 1906 even though they first recorded the breed in the early1900. Originally named the Domestic Shorthair it was changed to the American Shorthair in the 1960’s, leaving the term domestic shorthair to the cats that most of us have in our homes today.

What I love about the American Shorthair are their eyes. I feel they have the most beautiful expressive eyes in all of catdom.

Not to mention the silver tabby coats that some have.

The American Shorthair is a sturdy built cat, with coat that is thick and protective. These cats come in many colors, all of which are beautiful.

The American Shorthair is a loving family cat. It is not necessarily a lap cat, but it loves its people and wants to be where you are.

They are playful, they love their toys and do not seem to be curtain climbers.

They are even tempered, not demanding, but very loving in their own way. They seem to know when you are busy and will wait until you settle down before they ask for their pets and pats.

As usual this cat goes on my ever growing list of must haves, they truly are one cool cat.